In-jokes and references
Blizzard has included many in-jokes and pop-culture references in various forms throughout WoW. ;See also: * Easter Eggs * There is no cow level Characters and locations Dran Droffers and Malton Droffers *These two orcs who run a salvage shop in Orgrimmar are based on characters from the show Sanford and Son. They resemble Fred Sanford and his son Lamont (as much as a couple of orcs can, anyway), and Dran Droffers talks and acts like Fred Sanford, who ran a junk dealership similar to his. Finally, "Dran Droffers" is an anagram of "Fred Sanford" and "Malton" of "Lamont". Hin Denburg *At the zep tower for Undercity, one of the gobblins is named Hin Denburg a reference to The Hindenburg(Lz-129) that blew up at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 5/6/1937. Patrick Garrett *In Undercity at the inn, the questgiver Patrick Garrett is a reference to the 1973 movie Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. Doctor Herbert Halsey *In Undercity the expert alchemy trainer is named Doctor Herbert Halsey. This is a reference to two key characters: Herbert West and Dr. Halsey, in the pulp horror novel The Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft. In the book Herbert West creates an alchemical substance that can reanimate dead tissue. Jack and Tyler *In Undercity, there are two NPCs named Jack and Tyler fighting. This references Fight Club, the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk, later made into a movie starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Oglethorpe Obnoticus *Oglethorpe Obnoticus is a reference to the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunter Force. One of its characters is an alien named Oglethorpe, who consults a disco ball named Obnoticus for guidance. (Thottbot) Thunderaan *Many of the things that Thunderaan says are actual quotes from Mike Tyson. Wimpy *One of the things panhandler Topper Mcnabb in Stormwind says is "I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today." The character of Wimpy in the Popeye cartoons often said this. Bloodlord Mandokir *The boss Bloodlord Mandokir sometimes says "Ding!" (and occasionally receives a reply of "Grats!" from Jin'do) when he "levels up" while you're fighting him. This exchange is of course familiar to anyone who's ever been in a guild. Maws *Maws is a giant shark boss that players fight as part of the Ahn'Qiraj Scepter quest line. The name is a reference to the movie Jaws. Ossirian the Unscarred *Ossirian the Unscarred sometimes speaks lines from the Terminator movies. Nat Pagle *Nat Pagle is named after Blizzard staff member Pat Nagle. Hemet Nesingwary *This world-class hunter's name Hemet Nesingwary comes from rearranging the letters in Ernest Hemingway's name. His companions S. J. Erlgadin and Ajeck Rouack are anagrams of J.D. Salinger and Jack Kerouac, respectively. Nesingwary's book, "The Green Hills of Stranglethorn", references Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa". Colonel Kurzen *A reference to fictitious Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, from Apocalypse Now, who has retreated to a camp in the Jungle. Tech Bot *Tech Bot in Gnomeregan says things the support department would say. *Tech Bot spawns a critter named "Dupe Bug", a reference to a Diablo II bug. Clarice Foster *Near the entrance to the Pools of Vision in Thunder Bluff is an NPC named Clarice Foster, an amalgamation of two names - Jodie Foster and the character she played in Silence of the Lambs. Un'Goro References *At Marshal's Refuge, there are two characters name Larion and Muigin, a reference to Mario and Luigi. One is short and dressed in red, and the other is tall and dressed in green. *Also at Marshal's Refuge is a gnome dressed in green named Linken. He's clearly a reference to Link from the Legend of Zelda games. As quest rewards, he gives you a sword or a boomerang, both signature weapons from the game. *A-Me 01, a robotic gorilla, is named after the gorilla (Amy) from the book Congo by Michael Crichton. **A quest featuring the very same robotic gorilla is named after a Kevin Smith movie, Chasing Amy by Mirimax Films. *The entire zone contains many references to the tv show "Land of the Lost". **Marshal's Refuge, and the characters Williden and Hol'anyee Marshall, are named after the main characters from the show. **One of these NPCs gives a quest entitled "Lost!" **The entire zone is filled with dinosaurs. **Crystals and special Pylons can be found throughout the zone, another feature of the tv show. *A character is named Spraggle Frock, a reference to the show Fraggle Rock. Transporter Operators *The two goblins that operate the transporter that takes you from Gnomeregan to Booty Bay (and vice versa) are named Sprock and Scooty, a reference to Spock and Scotty from Star Trek. Theres also another transporter operator in Gadgetzan named Jhordy Lapforge, this time a reference to the chief engineer in Start Trek: The Next Generation, Geordi La Forge. Finkle Einhorn *Finkle Einhorn is a mob in Upper Blackrock Spire. He's a reference to Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. Torta and Tooga *Torta and Tooga are turtles found in Tanaris. The names refer to Tortuga, which in Spanish means turtle or tortoise. A Tale of Two Cities *In Booty Bay there is a tailor shop named "A Tailor to Cities", a reference to Charles Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities" Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me *In the Alliance quest Staghelm's Requiem, Athramanis wants the player to kill troll players in the Alterac Valley battleground and "...return to me with their mojo. To reiterate: I want you to steal their mojo." In the second Austin Powers movie, Dr. Evil stole Austin's mojo. Algernon *In the Undercity there is an NPC named Algernon. In his right hand he is holding flowers, a reference to Daniel Keyes' short story "Flowers for Algernon" written in 1960. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-lot *A "flirt" slash command if you are playing as a male gnome sometimes makes your character say "I like large posteriors and I cannot prevaricate." This verbosely paraphrases the opening line of one hit wonder Sir Mix-a-lot's single hit, Baby Got Back: "I like big butts and I cannot lie." Ghostbusters *In the Mage Quarter in Stormwind there are three mages sitting in a circle having an extended conversation. Eventually one of them will say “wouldn’t that be bad, like crossing the streams bad?”, a reference to the movie "Ghost Busters". *Egan's Blaster is a ranged-slot item used in the quest The Restless Souls that starts in Eastern Plaguelands. "Use Egan's Blaster on the ghostly and spectral citizens of Stratholme. When the restless spirits break free from their ghostly shells, use the blaster again - freedom will be theirs!" *One of the soldiers stationed at Chillwind Points complains that his job "definitely isn't worth another five thou-a year!" In the movie "Ghostbusters", Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) says the same thing when his team votes for almost certain death to save the world (while fighing the undead, as it were.) *In the mage-specific quests Investigate the Alchemist Shop (Horde) and Investigate the Blue Recluse (Alliance), the player is asked to search an area for ghosts, fight them, and trap them in "containment coffers." Tomas *In Goldshire there is a low level Cooking trainer named Tomas. This is a reference to the well-known UK-based tour operator Thomas Cook. Lord of the Rings/Simpsons *One of the human male's "silly" slash commands results in the following statement: "So, I have this idea for a great movie. It's about two gnomes who find a bracelet of power, and they have to take it to the Burning Steppes and cast it into the Cauldron. They form the Brotherhood of the Bracelet. Along the way they're trailed by a murloc named Gottum, who's obsessed with the bracelet, and nine bracelet boogeymen. It could be a three parter, called 'Ruler of the Bracelet'. The first part would be called 'The Brotherhood of the Bracelet', followed by 'A Couple of Towers', with a climactic ending called 'Hey, the King's Back!'" *This may also be a nod to the Simpsons episode Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song, in which Skinner says "Now I...I finally have time to do what I've always wanted: write the great American novel. Mine is about a futuristic amusement park where dinosaurs are brought to life through advanced cloning techniques. I call it "Billy and the Cloneasaurus." Under Siege *In Stormwind, the cooking trainer and supplier are named Stephen Ryback and Erika Tate, respectively. These NPCs are references to the movie Under Siege, in which Steven Seagal played a cook named Casey Ryback, and Erika Eleniak played Jordan Tate. Thor *In Westfall the gryphon master is named Thor. He is a reference to Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Auctioneers * There is an Auctioneer O'reely in Booty Bay and an Auctioneer Yarly in the Undercity which refers to the popular "Orly" owls. Bankers * The three bankers in Stormwind are named after the lead female actor in the movie 'Grease' - Olivia Newton John. * The male bankers in Ironforge are named for the legendary Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, while Cirque du Soleil provides the name of the female banker. Pulp Fiction *In Ravenholdt Manor (which is a rogue-specific destination), there is a well dressed but fierce-looking man named "Winstone Wolfe". This is a reference to the movie 'Pulp Fiction', which has a character named Winston Wolf, who is a well dressed, fierce-looking character with some roguish tendencies. Nintendo Games *Un'Goro crater is filled with references to old Nintendo games: ** Linken is a reference to the 'Legend of Zelda' series, in which a common theme is powering up the sword of the main character, Link. ** The kodo beast, Dadanga is a refernce to the very first 'Legend of Zelda' game. One of the early bosses is a triceratops who is weak against bombs. The old man who gives you hints on how to progress says, "Dodongo dislikes fire." ** Larion and Muigin, two dwarves, are an amalgam of the characters Mario and Luigi. They are both dressed in overalls of color similar to how Mario and Luigi are dressed in the 'Super Mario Brothers' games. Fraggle Rock *In Un'Goro crater one of the characters is named Spraggle Frock, a reference to the Jim Henson show, Fraggle Rock. Gamera *An elite turtle in the Hinterlands, the focus of two quests, is named Gammerita, a slight twist on the legendary turtle monster of Godzilla fame, Gamera. Land of the Lost *Following the primordial theme of Un'Goro Crater, the main place where you will find quest NPCs is Marshall's Refuge, inside you will find three people: Hol'anyee Marshall, J.D. Marshall and Williden Marshall. Their television counterparts would be; Holly Marshall, Rick Marshall and Will Marshall, main characters from the TV show, "Land of the Lost." Muppets *Male orc "silly" slash command: "It's not easy being green." This is the title of a song performed by Kermit the Frog. Dances With Wolves *Female tauren "silly" slash command: "In my native tongue, my name is Dances with Tassels." California Milk Advisory Board commercials *Female tauren "silly" slash command: "Happy Taurens come from Mulgore." The Milk Advisory Board's commercials included the slogan "happy cows come from California." Smoke 2 Joints by The Toyes *As is pointed out on the Joke page, male troll's "silly" slash command about killing two dwarves similar. Having a troll paraphrase a reggae song is in keeping with their similarity to Jamaicans (or at least stereotypes of them). Frank Lloyd Wright *In Undercity there is an engineer named Franklin Lloyd, an homage to the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Quest Titles So many quest titles are in-jokes or references of some form or another that they require their own sub-category! Welcome to the Jungle *Quest in Stranglethorn Vale, Probably a reference to the song by Guns & Roses. (Thottbot) Chasing A-ME 01 * Quest in Un'goro Crater to find the mechanical gorilla, reference to the movie Chasing Amy. (The dialogue of the robotic ape also references the movie Congo.) All Along the Watchtowers * Quest in Western Plaguelands, reference to a song by Bob Dylan, made famous by Jimi Hendrix. The Scrimshank Redemption * Quest in Tanaris, reference to "The Shawshank Redemption" When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent * Quest in the Eastern Plaguelands, referencing the song "When Smokey Sings (I Hear Violins)", a tribute to singer Smokey Robinson. Thottbot Houses of the Holy * Quest in the Eastern Plaguelands named after the classic Led Zeppelin song. Cure for Harpies * One of the Quest rewards for killing Serena Bloodfeather is the Zhovur Axe. Zovirax is a tradename treatment for the most common form of herpes, herpes simplex. Items Angelista's items *Angelista is listed in the "Special Thanks" section of the WoW credits, and is most likely a friend or relative of a Blizzard staff member. She's had 3 items named after her: Angelista's Charm, Angelista's Grasp, and Angelista's Touch. The 1 Ring *The 1 Ring is clearly a reference to "The One Ring" from the Lord of the Rings books. "The One Ring" was discovered at the bottom of a river by Smeagol (later Gollum) and a a friend, while The 1 Ring is a random low-level fishing drop. (Thottbot) Empty Barrel *You can sometimes receive Empty Barrels (tb) as loot from the thunderers and stompers in the northeast of Un'Goro, which is a reference to Donkey Kong. Linken's Sword and Boomerang *The gnome, Linken, offers two rewards at the end of his rather long quest-line: **Linken`s Sword of Mastery: In the 'Legend of Zelda' games, it was common to take a weak or powerless sword and to travel all over the world in a quest to restore its power in order to defeat some evil power. The name is a reversal of the common name for Link's sword, "The Master Sword." **Linken's Boomerang: Another common feature is a boomerang, used to stun or disable enemies, or collect far away objects. The Emperor's New Cloths The final boss of Blackrock Depths is named Emperor Dagran Thaurissan and drosp a cape called "The Emperor's New Cape" that up untill 1.9 didnt have any graphics which is a refrence to the story called "The Emperor's New Clothes" by H.C Andersen where a greedy and more or less stupid emperor gets a new outfit that only the wealthy people can see, or at least he is told. The next day on a parade he walks in his new threads noticing that people is laughing and pointing to him and soon realises that the cloths that only wealthy people could see are infact no clothes at all. http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4899 Home Improvement A quest in Gnomeregan has the name Gnome Improvement which might be a refrence towards the popluar mid90's show called Home Improvement featuring Tim Allen and more. Obscure Movie References Krull (1983) At Onyxia's Lair, in the first lava pool you come to on the right side, you can find a floating star shaped glaive and next to it a charred skeleton. A reference to the 80's scifi-fantasy movie Krull in which the powerful glaive weapon was found in a flowing river of lava in a dragon's cave. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) In this film, scientists develop a way for a rocket car to pass through solid matter (a mountain). In Thousand Needles not far from the raceway, near the path to Tanaris, you can see skid marks that lead into the side of the mountain. In Tanaris, on the opposite side of the mountain just west of Gadgetzan, the skid marks continue and lead to the crashed wreckage of a rocket car. In the movie, this scene took place on salt flats exactly like Shimmering Flats. Category:Blizzard Entertainment Category:Lore Category:Silly